Database of luminescent minerals 

ozocerite

Chemical formula: / (cire organique / organic wax)

Family: Organic

Status: NR

Display mineral: NON

Luminescence:

Daylight picture

Ozocerite,
Borislaw, Russie;
Col. G.Barmarin; Photo: G. Barmarin

Longwave (365nm) picture

Ozocerite, UVLW
Borislaw, Russie;
Col. G.Barmarin; Photo: G. Barmarin

Shortwave (254nm) picture

Ozocerite, UVSW
Borislaw, Russie;
Col. G.Barmarin; Photo: G. Barmarin

Do you have a photo of this mineral you would like to see in the gallery? Contact us!

Phosphorescence (in the common sense of the term) observable with the naked eye:

No data

Comments:

Natural paraffin wax of dark color. Mostly composed of alkanes: C_nH_2n+2 n=20 to 40; melt around 50-60°C.

Natural hydrocarbon mixtures of ozocerite and hatchettite as well as the terpenoid minerals fichtelite (norabietane) and hartite (α-phyllocladane) seems to have a luminescence under UV LW. Some of these hydrocarbons occur in soil and peat environments of Holocene age. However, hartite occurs in lignite, in fossilised Glyptostrobus (Taxodiaceae) trees and in pelosiderites of the Bílina Miocene series (about 20 Ma); it represents the accumulated and crystallised product of diagenetic transformation of precursor biogenic terpenoids. Raman spectra of earth waxes investigated confirm their dominantly aliphatic character and oxidative degradation (related to weathering and/or subaerial alteration in museum cabinets).

Some quartz from Middleville, Town of Newport, Herkimer Co., New York, USA contain yellow inclusions of ozocerite strongly fluorescent.

Activator(s) and spectrum:

Activator(s): Matière organique intrinsèque,

Peaks in the spectrum (nm):

Broad band centered around 607nm with curve change at 525nm, 567nm, 607nm and 649nm

Col. G. Barmarin; Spectre: G. Barmarin

Best localities for fluorescence (*):

• Boryslav, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine (ex URSS);
• Tiflis, Iran;
• Åšlichowice Quarry, Kielce, Kielce District, ÅšwiÄ™tokrzyskie Mts, ÅšwiÄ™tokrzyskie, Poland ;
• Colton, Utah Co., Utah, USA ;
• Culmer Brothers Mine, Soldier Summit District, Wasatch Co., Utah, USA ;

(*)The data are not exhaustive and are limited to a few remarkable localities for fluorescence

Bibliographic reference for luminescence:

• The Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals, Dr. Gerhard Henkel, Published by the FMS, 1989 ,
• Handbook of Fluorescent Gems and Minerals, a practical guide for the gem and mineral collector, Jack de Ment, 1949 ,

Reference for luminescence on the Internet:

Mineralogical reference on the Internet:

  http://www.mindat.org/show.php?name=Ozocerite

  http://webmineral.com/data/Ozocerite.shtml

Internet Search:

  Image search on 'Google Images'

  Search for documents in all languages on Google

  Search on Wikipedia